The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for the creation of a tool and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for selectively and efficiently creating a tool by the use of a mathematical and/or computer generated model of the tool and the creation of sections which are later operatively bound, thereby co-operatively forming the tool.
A tool, such as a mold, die, or other multi-dimensional object, is commonly used to selectively produce relatively large amounts of substantially identical objects. The tool may also be formed into several portions or parts which cooperatively produce these objects.
Traditionally, such a tool is produced by the use of a substantially solid block of material which is xe2x80x9cshapedxe2x80x9d (e.g., by cutting and/or grinding) into a desired form. Several blocks may be needed for certain tools having various parts or portions. This method, although capable of producing the desired tool, is relatively costly, is highly inefficient, and is not capable of rapidly producing a tool to meet the demands of the tooling industry.
In order to reduce the cost and expense associated with the production of the tool in the previously delineated manner and in order to allow a tool to be xe2x80x9crapidlyxe2x80x9d produced, a xe2x80x9claminar processxe2x80x9d or method is alternatively employed. Such a laminar technique requires the initial creation of a multi-dimensional mathematical or xe2x80x9ccomputer basedxe2x80x9d tool model. The model is then partitioned in order to create various tool or model xe2x80x9cpartitions.xe2x80x9d These intangible partitions are then used to form and are physically manifested within sections of material which are then sequentially stacked and bonded to cooperatively form a structure which approximates the structure of the desired tool. While this laminar technique does reduce overall production costs and does allow a tool to be rapidly produced, it does not reliably produce a structure which has a form which is substantially similar to that of the desired tool.
That is, the laminar process fails to account for variances in the material used to form the sections, the spacing between sections caused by the bonding material, as well as various other variances. The laminar process also fails to determine, as the process proceeds, how well the incompletely or partially formed structure approximates the portion of the tool to which it corresponds and fails to allow for dynamic modification of the process to correct and/or to operatively xe2x80x9ccounteractxe2x80x9d irregularities and/or structural faults.
Hence, oftentimes a structure is produced which does not readily approximate the tool, thereby undesirably increasing the cost and expense associated with the formation of the tool since the resultant structure must either be discarded or xe2x80x9creworkedxe2x80x9d. Moreover, the laminar process also utilizes substantially identical partition and sectional widths which prevent the use of relatively wide sections to create portions of the tool having a substantially constant width, thereby reducing the number of needed and/or utilized sections and significantly reducing overall production cost and expense. The laminar process also does not account for height variances within a single tool partition, oftentimes eliminating important structural aspects of the tool from the produced structure, and is not readily adapted for use in a completely and/or substantially completely automated environment due to its failure to provide dynamic feedback signals representing the accuracy of the overall tool building process.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved process for quickly and efficiently producing a tool and which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior tool producing methods and processes, and there is therefore a need for an apparatus to perform this new and improved process. Applicants"" invention addresses these needs and represents such a new and improved tool forming process and apparatus.
It is a first non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the creation of a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior tool forming methods and apparatuses.
It is a second non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for the creation of a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior tool forming methods and apparatuses and which dynamically and substantially ensures that the produced structure desirably approximates the corresponding structure of the tool by the use of positive feedback signals which are based on certain thickness measurements.
It is a third non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for the creation of a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior methods and apparatuses and which allows sections of varying widths to be selectively and dynamically created, thereby reducing the overall tool production cost and expense.
It is a fourth non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for the creation of a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior methods and apparatuses and which utilizes the height of each end of a partition of the model to create a section which may be used to create a relatively cost effective tool structure which more closely approximates that partition then current techniques, thereby allowing a tool to be selectively, efficiently, and accurately produced.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for creating a tool is provided. The method includes the steps of creating a model of the tool; creating a first partition of the model; creating a first section from the first partition; measuring the section; using the measurement to create a second partition of the model; creating a second section from the second partition; and attaching the second section to the first section, thereby forming a tool.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for creating a tool is provided. The method includes the steps of creating a model of the tool; creating a first partition of the model; creating a first section having a first width by use of the first partition of the model; creating a second partition of the model; creating a second section having a second width by use of the second partition of the model; and attaching the second section to the first section, thereby forming the tool.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a tool is provided. The method includes the steps of creating a model of the tool; creating a plurality of partitions from the model, each of the plurality of partitions having respective first and second ends of a certain respective height; and creating a section for each of the plurality of partitions, each section having first and second ends and each of the first and second ends having a substantially similar and respective height which is equal to the height of the first end of the partition to which that section pertains only when the height of the first end of the partition to which that section pertains is larger than or equal to the height of the second end of the partition to which that section pertains, and wherein each section has a surface which resides between the respective first and second ends.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided which selectively forms a tool. The apparatus includes a tool model forming portion; a press which is coupled to the tool model forming portion; a section forming portion which is coupled to the tool model forming portion and to the press and which forms sections by use of the tool model and which selectively stacks the formed sections within the press; and a measurement portion which measures the thickness of the stacked sections and which generates a signal, based on the thickness measurement, and which communicates the signal to the model forming portion.